Here it is February 3rd, and only 101 days to KSU (Kick Stands Up!) — although you still have plenty of time to maintain your bikes and your own personal health for this very special mission.
Yes, your health is as critical to this mission as your motorcycle. The mission requires riders stay focused on riding in formation, and quickly adjusting to changing speeds and conditions. The mission requires this focus to get all our riders to Washington, DC safely. It is 10 days of focus and concentration interspersed by moments of such greatness that you forever will be amazed.
As of this writing, we have 907 people Pre-Registered for the 30th Annual Run for The Wall. John “Wicked” McKee is updating this total every couple of days, and can be viewed on the front page of the RFTW website, as people register.
Our registration is open 24/7. Just head to www.rftw.us and sign-up for one day or 10 days – whatever you choose you will be welcomed. We have posted our hotel lists for all three routes, and if you join us along the way check out the hotel locations, so you can pick up your registration packages at the host hotel, or at the next day’s morning briefing and get ready for the mission.
Our Route Coordinators and the Board of Directors have continued the planning process throughout the winter. Currently, we are working on route itineraries which should be ready by April. In the meantime, check out the posted 2017 itineraries, and date adjust for 2018. 2018 will be mostly the same in regards to stops, etc.
Our Ontario, CA itinerary will see one change on Tuesday afternoon/evening. In place of a banquet we will have mandatory all-routes meetings in the Ontario Convention Center Parking Lot C (KSU lot). We will a have a colors ceremony followed by the Combat Heroes Bike Build presentation. After the presentation we will introduce each Route Coordinator who will speak and then direct their riders to a designated area for their specific route. You will all have a chance to meet your platoon leaders and familiarize yourselves with the mission and our riding methods. Your platoon leaders will help answer your questions and you will have plenty of time to get to know each other. There is no rush during this scheduled event—we have the parking lot until 2000 hours! If you have any suggestions on further enhancing this segment for both riders and leadership, please let us know.
By the time this is published 50 RFTW riders including M-25 will be travelling to Alvin, Texas, to help veterans repair their homes damaged by Hurricane Harvey. Harvey is tied with Hurricane Katrina as the costliest tropical cyclone on record, inflicting at least $125 billion in damage, primarily from catastrophic rainfall-triggered flooding in the Houston area. Work begins on Monday because of generous RFTW riders who wanted to help. Check the Forum beginning Feb. 5—we will attempt to send pictures, so Kirk Olson can post them to keep you all up-to-date on how the work is progressing.
Is it May yet?
Les “Easy” Williams
President
Run for the Wall Board of Directors
